SEEDS FROM AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA POSSESS ANTI INFLAMMATORY AND ANTI OXIDANT EFFECTS

ABSTRACT
This study aims to compare the wound healing ability of Aframomum melegueta. The experiment was carried out for 21 days after about 1 week of acclimatization. It involved the creation of excision wounds of 30mm on four treatment groups consisting of eight rats each. The various groups, 1,2,3,4 received no treatment, treatment with cicatrin powder, treatment with 10% extract and 20% extract respectively. All treatments were made by topical application daily. Determination of wound contraction rate, period of epithelialization and histopathological examination were achieved.. Tissues of healing wound of the rats were obtained for haematology and histological purposes at the end of a 7 days period. Analysis for pro-inflammatory markers parameters such as tumour-necrosis factor, interleukin 6 and nitric oxide were taken from two sacrificed rats at 7 days interval during the course of the experiment. However the highest value of wound contraction obtained from group 1 and 2 was recorded on the 19th day with value of 8.31mm and 8.35mm respectively as compared to group 3 whose maximum value was recorded as 5.55mm. Group 4 also recorded its highest value as 6.9mm which was in sharp contrast to that of group 1 and 2 only. The lowest IL-6 value was value recorded was in group 2 61.05pg/ml after 21 days. The maximum value of NO value recorded throughout the study was 129.45μ/mol from Group 1 after 7 days of the exposure Histologically, greater wound healing effects were observed, as treatment of wounds in skin of Albino rats with 10% extract of Aframomum melegueta showed a recognizable increase in the amount of mature collagen fibers after 21 days of treatment, accelerating the healing process, in rats. Although, the 20% extract of Aframomum melegueta, was seen to also have wound healing effects but had a number of side effects on the rats in its group. However both extract groups healed faster as compared to the control group. However, when compared to the group treated with cicatrin, only the 10% methanol extract of A. melegueta was found to heal faster.